Hickory County deputies uncovered quite the find this past week as their responding to a motor vehicle accident led to the discovery of drug paraphernalia being secretly stored in the back room of ALPS Grocery Store in Pittsburg, as well as drug deals possibly taking place on the property.
According to the 30th Judicial Circuit, during the early evening hours of Monday, April 20, Hickory County deputies arrested Matthew Alan Pike, 35, Pittsburg after he allegedly attempted to hinder an investigation being done following a reported motor vehicle accident on Highway 64. A vehicle search warrant led to the discovery of drug pharaphenlia as well as components used in the manufacturing of methamphetamines. Further investigation found that not only was Pike, an ALPS employee, in possession of these materials, but that he had allegedly been storing them in a back room of the store and selling/attempting to sell the drugs to customers.
According to the probable cause statement, his manager at ALPS, who also resides with him, claimed to have no knowledge of his actions, nor did anyone associated with ALPS Grocery. At this moment, police appear to be working under the assumption that he was acting on his own accord. This is an ongoing investigation.
He has since been charged with Class C Felony Manufacture Of A Controlled Substance, Class C Felony Second Degree Drug Trafficking, Class D Felony Possession Of A Controlled Substance, and Class E Felony Unlawful Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia-Amphetamine Or Methamphetamine. According to the Probable Cause Statement filed with the Hickory County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, he had also been facing several related charges, such as Keeping and Maintaining A Public Nuisance, Failure To Register A Motor Vehicle, Operating A Motor Vehicle In A Careless and Imprudent Manner and Operating A Motor Vehicle Without A Valid License, but the only ones formally filed are those listed above.
According to the Probable Cause Statement, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on April 20, when dispatch received a call about a motor vehicle accident on Highway 64. The deputy on the scene noted he had located the vehicle on Highway NN and witnessed it travel about 20 yards off the roadway and come to an abrupt stop. He conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Pike, whose driver’s license came back as suspended, nor was the vehicle registered. Allegedly, at this time, while a second deputy was interviewing him, Pike attempted to roll up the windows and lock the door. He was then detained while police had the vehicle towed. While it was being moved by Stauffer’s Towing, employees with that company said they noticed suspicious items such as a “chemistry book on how to make liquid meth, a receipt book showing where he had sold someone liquid meth, multiple needles, and a fireball container containing liquid that field tested positive for Methamphetamine.” The vehicle was taken to a lot in Preston where a search warrant was executed.
Accordingly, the deputies stated that while they were conducting their investigation, Pike said he was on his way home, after which a search warrant was granted for the residence. While executing that warrant, they said they discovered “multiple volumetric flasks that field tested positive for meth, as well as a mason jar that had approximately 75.6 grams of liquid methamphetamine on a hot plate under the bathroom sink; numerous scales; a glass pipe that tested positive for meth; ledgers containing how much liquid meth had been sold, to who and for how much; a propane tank with a cooking element; multiple different powders used to cut the liquid meth, including naloxane, and multiple syringes.”
It was at this time that a witness came by and provided an official statement, during which they said that Pike had been “attempting to manufacture liquid methamphetamine for awhile.” They also stated that he used an LLC named M.B.I. Solutions Inc. and believed he could manufacture liquid Methamphetamine with a DBA license. They went further into his process for creating and using meth and how he allegedly markets his product while working as a cashier at ALPS Grocery. The chemistry book also contained detailed notes on manufacturing equations, handwritten observations by Pike on the process, and a receipt book outlying how he had once sold and shipped seven grams of meth to a customer in Texas.
It was noted by the Hickory County Sheriff’s Office, that Pike lived with his boss, the ALPS manager, who stated he knew nothing of his activities. The manager and witness both stated there were some items belonging to Pike and the witness, who was not identified by name in the probable cause statement, in the back room of ALPS. Consent was given by the manager to search the store, during which time deputies discovered a box with four volumetric flasks and four graduated cylinders, three of which look used.
Pike was arrested and taken to the Hickory County Sheriff’s Office to await charges. He was placed on a $255,000 bond and a hearing has been set for Tuesday, April 28, in the Hickory County Courthouse in Hermitage.
